Prosthesis gripping system and method

Abstract

A delivery catheter and gripping system for enabling manipulation of a prosthesis deployed or implanted at a repair site in a corporeal lumen, for repositioning of the prosthesis. The delivery catheter includes a grip at the proximal end, a jacket enlarged portion at the distal end, and a shaft therebetween, and has a channel extending therethrough, for enabling insertion, removal, expansion and compression of the gripping system. The gripping system is housed in the delivery catheter, and includes a grip and biasing spring at the proximal end, a plurality of resilient gripping elements at the distal end, and a deploying wire therebetween for enabling gripping, maneuvering, and repositioning of the prosthesis to the desired location. The catheter jacket is retracted from enclosing the gripping elements, enabling the gripping elements to expand about the prosthesis end, and is then advanced to compress the gripping elements into engagement with the prosthesis end for maneuvering thereof so as to reposition the prosthesis.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for gripping and enabling manipulation of the end of a prosthesis deployed or implanted at a repair site in a corporeal lumen, comprising: a catheter including a shaft and proximal and distal ends;   a plurality of gripping members adapted for gripping and enabling manipulation of the end of the prosthesis, located in the catheter distal end;   means for atraumatically engaging with the prosthesis disposed upon the plurality of gripping members; and   means for actuating the plurality of gripping members between an expanded state and a contracted state, located in the catheter proximal end, extending through the catheter shaft and attached to the plurality of gripping members.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the end of the prosthesis is compressible, and the plurality of gripping members are further adapted to compress and grip the prosthesis compressible end for gripping thereof. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the catheter shaft includes an enlarged portion at the distal end thereof, for enabling the plurality of gripping members to retract therein, to enable insertion of the catheter into the corporeal lumen to a position at the repair site proximate to the end of the prosthesis. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuating means comprise a knob proximate the proximal end of the catheter shaft for enabling the user to move the actuating means relative to the knob and expand the plurality of gripping members into the expanded state. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuating means include a deploying wire extending through the catheter shaft, including proximal and distal ends, and an actuating member secured to the deploying wire proximal end, and wherein the plurality of gripping members are secured to the distal end of the deploying member. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for biasing the actuating means relative to the catheter shaft such that the plurality of gripping members are normally in the contracted state. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for enabling the user to grip the shaft proximal end and the actuating means, for actuating and releasing the actuating means. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for securing the plurality of gripping members to the actuating means, located in the catheter shaft proximate the catheter distal end. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a folded balloon, located at the catheter distal end, about which the plurality of gripping members extend, adapted to releasably engage the end of the prosthesis. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gripping members comprise six gripping members. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a maneuverable gripping member, adapted to releasably grip the end of the prosthesis. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the biasing means comprise a compression spring. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the grip enabling means comprise a generally ring-shaped grip member. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the securing means comprise a tube in which the plurality of gripping members proximal ends are secured. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the securing means comprise a bead comprised of an epoxy material. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the atraumatically engaging means are comprised of an epoxy material. 
     
     
       17. A method of gripping and manipulating the end of a prosthesis located at a repair site in a corporeal lumen, comprising the steps of: introducing a catheter which includes a shaft including proximal and distal ends, a plurality of gripping members adapted for gripping the end of the prosthesis, located in the catheter distal end, means for atraumatically engaging with the prosthesis disposed upon the plurality of gripping members, and means for actuating the plurality of gripping members between an expanded state and a contracted state, to the repair site of the corporeal lumen;   actuating the plurality of gripping members to grip the end of the prosthesis;   manipulating the plurality of gripping members to manipulate the end of the prosthesis; and   terminating the manipulating and gripping of the end of the prosthesis.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17, wherein the catheter shaft includes an enlarged portion at the distal end thereof, further comprising the step of retracting the plurality of gripping members in the catheter shaft enlarged portion, to enable insertion of the catheter into the corporeal lumen to the position at the repair site proximate to the end of the prosthesis. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 17, wherein the actuating means comprise a knob proximate the proximal end of the catheter shaft, and the step of actuating the plurality of gripping members comprises moving the actuating means relative to the knob for extending and expanding the plurality of gripping members into the expanded state. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 17, wherein the actuating means include a deploying wire including proximal and distal ends, extending through the catheter shaft, and an actuating member secured to the deploying wire proximal end, and wherein the plurality of gripping members are secured to the deploying member distal end, and the step of actuating the plurality of gripping members comprises pushing and releasing the actuating member and deploying wire. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 17, wherein the catheter further comprises means for securing the plurality of gripping members to the actuating means, located in the catheter shaft proximate the catheter distal end, and the step of actuating the plurality of gripping members comprises sliding the securing means to release the plurality of gripping members. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 17, wherein the catheter further comprises a folded balloon, located at the catheter distal end, about which the plurality of gripping members extend, further comprising the step of moving the balloon into releasable engagement with the end of the prosthesis. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the atraumatically engaging means include a plurality of bulbous tips disposed upon each of the plurality of gripping members. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of actuating the plurality of gripping members comprises releasing the plurality of gripping members to expand into the expanded state about the end of the prosthesis, and contracting the plurality of gripping members into the contracted state and grip the end of the prosthesis.